Device eor indicating the presence oe articles in pigeonholes



G. F. FLECKENSTEIN.

DEVICE FR INDICATING THE PRESENCE OF ARTICLES INPIGEONHOLES. APPLcATON FILED ocT. 12, 1917.

1,306,757 Patented June 17, 1919.

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/V VE/V TOR 7 E. .E FLEDIENSTEHY A TTOR/VEV rr rc GEORGE F. FLECKENSTEIN, OF SIOUX'CITY, IOW A.

DEVICE FOR INDICATING THE PRE'SENCE OF ARTICLES I N PIGEONHOLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 17, 1919.

Application filed October 12, 1917. Serial No. 196,102.

'certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Indicating the Presence of Articles in Pigeonholesof which the following is a specification;

This invention relates to means for indicating the presence of articles in pigeonholes.

In hotels pigeon-hole cabinets are used in which are placed keys, personal cards, mail, messages and other articles to be delivered to the guests. The pigeon-holes are usually numbered to correspond with the guest-room numbers and the cabinets are usually positioned in the rear of the clerks counter in view of the patrons when they approach the counter. Attendants and clerks are necessarily bothered considerably by patrons in quiring if there are any articles in their pigcon-holes.

Obviously, comparatively large articles in the pigeon-holes can be seen by the patrons, but the presence of letters, personal cards, messages and similar articles which le flat in the pigeon-holes, cannot be ascertained by the patron without inquiring of the clerk.

The present invention, therefore, has for its primary object, the production of a simple device adapted to be removably inserted in a pigeon-hole to indicate the presence of articles in the pigeon-holes.

Furthermore, the invention aims to provide a simple inexpensive devce adapted to be securely, yet removably inserted in a Pigeon-hole and embodying means adapted to support personal cards, messages, letters and similar flat articles in upright position.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consisting in the Construction, combination and novel arrangement of parts may be fully understood from the description, reference being had to the accompanying clrawings which form a part of this application and in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, of which,-

Figure l is a fragmentary front elevation of a pigeon-hole cabinet having therein the device of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig, 3 is a side elevation of a plurality of z out dep arting the devices hung on a support as when not 1n use, portions of the base plates being cut away;

Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal section of the device; and a i Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the same.

Although I have illustrated and hereinafter described the preferred embodiment oi' v the' invention I would not be understood as being limited to the specific structure chosen for jillustration for various alterations and modifications may be made in the details of Construction and arrangenent of parts withfrom the spirit and scope of the invention.

Referring, now, to the illustrations, the cabinet shown consists of a plurality of pigeon-holes formed by horizontal and vertical partitions, 6 and 7, respectively. The pigeon-holes are labeled with identifying characters, 8. My device consists preferably of an elongated sheet-metal base plate, 9, adapted to be removably placed on the bottom of the pigeon hole. The front end portion, 10, of the plate is bent upwardly at right angles to the base plate and the side edges of the upwardly bent portion are overturned toward each other as at ll, thus adapting the upright portion to retain a personal card, 12, or other flat article. At its bend the plate is provided with a forwardlyeXtending ear, 13, which is punched from the horizontal portion of the plate. The said ear serves as a stop for small articles which fall loosely between the overturned fianges, 11 or the upright member.

One side of the base plate is cut away from one rear corner toward the diagonally opposite corner as at 14:, and thence laterally as at 15, at a point a distance in the rear of the upright member whereby the plate may be moved outwardly and rearwardly as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 to permit large articles being inserted in the pigeonhole at the side of the device. Adjacent its rear end the plate is provided with an elongated slit, 16, adapted to receive a pin, 17 on an upright support 18, whereby a plurality of the devices when not in use may be hung on the pin, base to base, with the uprght members in superposed positions, all as shown in Fig. 3.

In operation the attendant places the device in the pigeon hole, as shown, to indi- Cate that the pigeon hole contains an article for the patron.

Having thus described my invention What I claim as new and desre to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,-

1. A deVce for indicating the presence of articles in pigeon-holes, including a rectan gular plate adapted to rest on the bottom of a pigeon-hole, and an upright card-retaining plate on the front end thereof, said first plate being cut away from One rear corner diagonally toward the front end and the 'opposite side edge, and'thence laterally to the adjacent side edge, Whereby the front end of said first plate may be moved laterally in the pigeon-hole to admit relatively large articles thereinto.

2. A devce 'or indicating the presence of articles in a pigeon hole conprsng a baseplate adapted to be renovably inserted in the pigeon-hole, and an uprght member on the front end of the plate, the plate having copies of this oatent may be obtained for five cents each, by addrewii'g the an elongated slot adapted to receive a supporting pin, Whereby a plurality of the plates may be hung on the pin.

3. A devce for ndicatng the presence of articles in a pigeon hole, comprising an elongated base plate adapted to be removably inserted in the Pigeon-bole, and having its front end portion bent upwardly, the side edge portions of said end portion being overturned to retain cards and the like and the plate being cut away from one rear corner diagonally toward the front end and thence laterally to the side edge, Wher'eby the front end of. the plate may be moved laterally in the pigeon-hole to admit conparatively large articles in the -pigeon ho'le.

In testiinony Whereof, I have herennto set my hand this 9th day of October, 1917.

GEORGE F'. FLE'GKENSTEIN.

"Comnissionr of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

